


Innocence

by Puckulence



Category: Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Children, F/M, Romance, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-04
Updated: 2012-11-05
Packaged: 2017-11-17 23:29:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/554381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Puckulence/pseuds/Puckulence
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some experiences are life-altering; for Link, the Hero of Time, his are completely life-shattering. With a feeling of misdirection in his heart and an unpleasant sense of heaviness on his mind, Link decides to find the one thing he refuses to lose from his adventure: the young Princess Zelda.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preface

**Author's Note:**

> A somewhat simple story I started... a while ago, about Link and Zelda and what happens after the events of OoT, without regards to Majora's Mask.

His hands and jaw both ached from clenching; as the light that glowed around him dissipated, Link slowly peeled his now soft, childish fingers from the hilt of the Master Sword. He looked down at his hands and let out a long, heavy sigh, unsure of what to make of himself in that moment. His eyes, wide and blue, averted to the sword that was now stuck stiffly and upright in the Pedestal of Time, no longer begging for him to hold it in his hands and be the hero. Link tore himself away from it, turned his back, and walked out of the Door of Time once and for all. He did not, could not look as the door sealed itself shut and the precious Spiritual Stones surely disappeared. Heart as empty as the hollows behind him, Link trudged out of the temple and stepped into Hyrule.

  
Link glanced up at the sky above him; the sun was high, not a single cloud blocking its rays. He could see the white ring of clouds suspended over Death Mountain, no sign of evil in them at all. He whipped around to gaze upon the holy temple he had just left-it looked strangely younger, seven years so in fact-and he saw himself in it. He felt a strange attachment to it now, as if it were a kindred spirit to his own, for it had seen what he had seen, and he, just like the noble building in front of him, would never forget them. Even now with his feet planted firmly in the present, his spirit was in the future; he felt displaced and split apart, detached from a reality that no longer was and never would be. With his own two hands-firm, adult hands-he had changed it, delivered it from darkness and evil, but that was all over. Link had been sent back to regain his time lost, his timely escapades over, with nothing but an ever-growing hole long for adventure in his chest.

  
Link left a part of him behind in that temple as he walked away from it. He bit his lip, not daring to look behind him a second time, as he realized that his future had suddenly became his past. The truth of it all confused him and rattled his thoughts around his head like a snow globe. His mind had still not settled by the time he entered Castle Town, which was loud and bustling with activity and Hylians as usual. He walked past them all, not paying attention to who they were or what they were saying without Navi the fairy flying about and point them out. As he circled around the fountain, he caught sight of the tall, towering Hyrule Castle nestled in the hills in the north. Memories, all at once, flooded his mind; ones of himself slaying darkness with the blade of evil's bane and rescuing the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda, began to play before his eyes. Thinking of her sparked a different memory, one of approaching her in the garden where she probably stood now, once more peeking through the window to the castle to see the business going on inside.

  
It was then, all at once, that Link felt the weight lift from his heart. An idea sprouted inside of him as he looked the castle; he had not figured out to forget, but he had thought of a way to lessen the pain of remembering. He sprinted now, eyes set on the castle that was as forbidden as always to him, and left the rest of Hyrule in his wake. He could see Zelda clearly in his mind, standing on her tiptoes trying to get a good view in the castle; she didn't know it, but she was waiting for him. He would slip past the guards like he had already done, step into the garden once more, and wait for her to turn around. Link had already sacrificed things; it was time he didn't leave a part of his broken up future behind him.


	2. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at Hyrule castle, Princess Zelda experiences the first stirrings of destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such a profound summary! Also, I want to say that five chapters of this story have already been written, but I'm spacing them out as far as publishing. Additionally, I apologize in advance for any errors and the rather arbitrary lengths, considering the length of each chapter varies. Regardless, here's to more child!ZeLink.

PART 1: OH CHILDREN

As the sun finally fell beneath the horizon, darkness blanketed Hyrule. Single, chilling stars began to appear, and the moon slowly rose from behind the hills to the top of the inky sky, serving as the world of night's large, snow white sun. Watching from the Hyrule Castle was a young girl, only around ten or so in age, standing outside on the balcony. A cool breeze caused her to shiver, but she remained outside while the world was swathed in black. She smiled at the sky that hung so high above her; while the day was beautiful to her, the night was so enchanting. With each gust of wind that blew through Hyrule, she felt it whispered long-lost secrets to her eager ears, that each gentle wind could lead her to an adventure far away. She extended one dainty hand towards the sky, as if she planned to pluck a star from it, and she closed her fist around nothing but the air. Her arms dropped to her sides in disappointment, believing that adventure was not what fate had in mind for the princess of Hyrule.

"Zelda," a throaty voice called to her from inside. Zelda frowned at the empty land of Hyrule before obediently turning around to face the voice's possessor. Impa, her caretaker and member of the mysterious Sheikah, came walking towards her slowly. "Zelda," Impa started once again, "it's time you got to bed."

Zelda pouted at her, wanting nothing more than to stay outside. Her heart ached as she was reminded that the outside world, where opportunities for exploration crept, was no place for her. "But I'm not _tired_ ," whined the princess. She folded her arms over her chest in defiance, trying to show that she was old enough to not be escorted to bed at certain hours. However, her mouth rounded out over a yawn and her sleepy, heavy-lidded eyes betrayed her. Before Impa could respond, Zelda's arms fell in admittance of the defeat she had expected. "Never mind," she mumbled. She walked back into the castle with slow, reluctant steps, truly tired but not wanting to fall asleep.

Impa quickly caught up with her and went to her side. Zelda said nothing as she approached the door to her room, but before she could open it and slip quietly inside, Impa put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Princess…is something bothering you?"

Zelda stopped, slender fingers still reaching for the door. Her hand recoiled and laid across her heart, and she tilted her head up to look at her pleasant caretaker. With a smile that didn't touch her eyes, she said, "I'm okay Impa," even though she wasn't. She didn't care to talk about it, so she said goodnight to Impa before quickly shutting herself inside of her room for the night.

The young princess's room was simple but elegant. A tapestry hung from the northernmost wall, and stitched into its surface in gold was the Triforce. Around the room hung portraits of family members and Princess Zeldas of the past, which she occasionally found frightening. It was strange to look upon the face of a girl whom she shared both a name and a face with. Sometimes Zelda would have nightmares, where all the other past princesses of Hyrule surrounded and enclosed her. She would always awake with her heart nearly beating out of her chest. Thinking of it made her uneasy. Now, as she crossed the room towards the wooden desk next to her bed, Zelda kept her eyes away from the other Zeldas. She didn't want to have bad dreams tonight.

She sat down in front of the large, rounded mirror that was hung on the wall before her. Her own tired, blue eyes stared back at her and watched as she removed her headdress. Thick, golden locks fell to her shoulders, gently waving and messy from being underneath the headpiece. Zelda reached for a silver hairbrush and began to pull it through her hair. As she brushed her hair, her mind backtracked to her time spent outside. She wondered how long it would be before she was allowed to go outside of the castle courtyards. She knew that when she was an adult, it would not matter anymore and that she could dictate her own life, but seven years seemed so long to wait. All she wanted was to be able to roam, to live the life of an adventurer like the ones of the stories Impa often told her.

Zelda set down her brush and stood from the stool she was seated at. She undressed quickly to change into her sleep clothes, the she went to her bed and crawled into it, surrendering to the world of slumber. As she laid her head down on the pillow, she could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. It wasn't very long until she was fast asleep, mind free to roam while her body was left far behind.

_Zelda was standing in the midst of Hyrule, caught in a nasty patch of tall grass. It was dark out, the moon was perched high above her head, black clouds rolling across it and covering the sky, and she guessed it to be around midnight. The grass whipped wildly in the harsh wind blowing through the field as she tried to fight it off, but she kept getting tangled up in it further. The wind was colder than usual tonight, and she shivered as she tried to move through the grass. She could feel it wrap around her ankles, and in confusion she went toppling over onto her knees. She was sure that the plant had a life of its own, for the harder she fought the more it resisted. It wound tightly around her ankles, binding her to the dirty ground as she attempted to crawl away once more. Terrified now, Zelda opened her mouth wide and let out a scream, but only then did she notice that the wind was much louder. It flooded her ears and burned her eyes to look now, and as she squinted towards the sky she knew that she was in the middle of nowhere._

_Heart beating hard and fast, she attempted to scream louder and pull herself away from the wicked grass, but it tightened its grip and she knew she was stuck. She blinked, and this time when she opened her eyes, high orange flames sprung from the ground and began to encircle her. Zelda's eyes began to fill with tears, both from the burning wind and the fear she felt in her heart. She gasped as she saw a tall, dark shadow fall across her face, and she felt the tears roll down her cheeks as she stared up at his face. His skin was dark and a sickening shade of greyish green; his eyes were fiery but dangerous and bore deep into her. His hair billowed around his face in the wind, bright as the flames that danced around them. She let out a sob, trapped by the grass with no way of escaping._

_The man approached her slowly and leaned down to look at her. A jewel encrusted on his forehead glared at her like a cruel red eye. His mouth spread into an unnatural smile, and he laughed an evil laugh that Zelda could hear even over the sound of the wind. She screamed again, now from fear instead of crying for help, and she continued to shed tears as one of his huge, gloved hands reached for her. He grabbed her by the collar of her dress and pulled her closer. The weeds that were wrapped so tightly around her began to snap and break, and soon the man had her completely off the ground. She attempted to screech once more, but his hand closed tightly around her throat. Hot tears rolled down her face as he continued to cackle at her, the sound as deep and malevolent as his eyes. He squeezed tighter, and Zelda's hands shot for his. She clawed wildly at them, trying to tug them off, but he simply closed his fingers tighter on her neck. She gasped for air, throat throbbing from yelling and the pressure. Desperately, Zelda's eyes looked around, the smoke from the fire stinging them. She bit her lip, accepting what was inevitable while the despicable man laughed. She rolled her eyes back up to the sky, hoping to see something pretty instead of his twisted face before she slumbered eternally._

_The black clouds that had been swirling across the sky suddenly began to dissipate; they pulled away from the full moon, which was now directly overhead. As they faded, the moonlight pooled around her, forming a circle of pure light across her body. Zelda gasped audibly as the man's hand released her, and she watched as he began to scream. His hand seemed to be dissolving, the light filtering through it. While she saw him suffer, a figure appeared behind him, and in its hand was a long blade, glinting in the light of the moon. Her eyes widened and she raised her hand to her face as the sword sunk deep into the man's back, and he began to bellow from the pain. In the light, she could see a boy's face and body on the man's back, hand gripped tightly on the hilt of the sword. He ripped the sword from his back and flipped off, down into the tall grass. Holes began to appear in the evil man, beams of light coming from every pore, and both the screams and wind slowly got quieter as his entire being was consumed in light. When he was nothing but a figure cloaked in white, he burst into black smoke that snaked up the sky._

_Zelda wiped the salty tears from her dirtied face before she lowered her hand. She glanced around, seeing no terrible grass, and her breaths began to slow down as the flames dwindled before completely disappearing. She crawled about on the grass for a moment, making sure that there truly were no signs of the man. The fear began to leave her mind, for he had been nothing but a phantom in the night. Zelda tried to stand, but her legs were as weak as water and she fell back to her knees once more. From the corner of her eye, she saw another shadow approaching her in the grass, and she shut her eyes in fear again. She waited, but when nothing happened, she opened her eyes to see no one but a young boy._

_He was looking down at her, hand extended for her to grab. Zelda eyed him carefully, noticing his Kokirish clothing, not quite able to see his face. Warily, she placed her hand into his and he pulled her into a standing position. She dusted herself off and adjusted her headdress, unsure of what to say or do. Her eyes flickered back to him, and she could see his face clearly now. His eyes were clear and very blue, the color of the sky on a cloudless summer day. He stared back from behind his blonde hair, mouth barely a smile as she gaped at him. Zelda's hands acted on their own accord and wrapped around his, and she brought them close to her mouth without looking away from his kind eyes. Her lips pursed together and she kissed his knuckles before murmuring, "Thank you, my hero."_

Princess Zelda awoke with a start, her heart hammering in her chest. She sat straight up in her bed and looked around her room; when she realized that she was not standing in the fields of Hyrule, her hands moved to her neck and she felt around for any contusions or finger marks. When she felt nothing but her own skin, she sighed in relief that she had only been dreaming. She tried to slow the beating of her heart and calm herself down, but even in reality she could see that evil phantom's eyes. Glowing red and piercing, Zelda knew that they had been etched into her memory. Thinking of them made her shake and fill with fear all over again. She clasped her quaking hands together in an attempt to relax, but the dream began to replay in her head. She whimpered, but suddenly the image of a pair of sweet, azure eyes formed instead of rings of fire and she felt her hands still. The young hero from her dream slashed away the scary scenes, and she thanked him once more before climbing out of bed.

As Zelda waded through her morning activities, all her brain could concentrate on was the boy she had encountered during sleep. Now, she absent-mindedly bathed, thinking only him and who he might've been. She wondered, dreamily, if he could be real; was there actually a hero waiting to rescue her? Zelda shushed these girlish thoughts as she washed her hair and skin, feeling it inappropriate to think of boys while she took a bath. The steam of the hot water did not clear head, though, and as soon as she was dressed she ran to find Impa to tell her of her dream.

She found her nursemaid outside of the castle, in the garden. She leaned against the wall of the castle, surrounded by a sea of red roses and narcissus, most likely taking a break to relax from the chaotic feel of the castle. Zelda came running towards her, white dress clutched in her hands in order to not trip, and Impa chuckled at her as she came to halt.

"Impa!" Zelda exclaimed, excitement twinkling in her glassy eyes. She clasped her hands together, hopeful for answers to the questions that she had. She trusted that Impa, being both a wise and well-traveled woman, would be able to lead her in the right direction.

Impa smiled down at her fondly and gave her a pat on the head. "Well Princess, you seem quite eager this morning. Did you sleep well?"

Zelda's smile began to fade. "No, Impa," she said with a shake of her head, "that's actually what I came here to talk with you about." With this said, she began to wring her hands. "Last night…I had this horrible dream…a nightmare…" She flickered her eyes to Impa's, who was looking at her with concern.

The nursemaid frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "What happened, Zelda?" she asked, a peculiar tone in her voice.

Zelda carefully told her the details of the dream, from the plants to the sinister man surrounded by fire. Impa's mouth was a tight line as she listened, nodding here and there as she walked her through the details. "What… what could've possibly sparked those kinds of dreams?"

"I don't know…" Zelda responded, fear in her own eyes. "I didn't understand it in my dream, and I don't understand it now."

"Perhaps it was…prophetic?" she suggested.

At this, Zelda raised her eyebrows. "I didn't think about that…but I'm not sure what it could have symbolized…it was very realistic and…straightforward…" She brought her finger to her lips as she pondered the possibility.

"Did you wake up after that?" Impa questioned.

"No…" Zelda paused for a moment, thinking things over, before adding, "And it wasn't all _bad_."

"How so, Princess?" She seemed more interested now.

"Well," Zelda started, a blush spreading across her cheeks, "there was a boy." She turned her back to Impa as she said this and began to pace back and forth; she worried that she would be teased about this.

"…A boy…?" Impa smirked at the young girl. "And?"

"And…he got rid of the man. He destroyed him, I suppose," she said, the excitement in her voice audible. As she spun around to face Impa, her face was flushed, and her eyes glistened as she talked about him. "He carried a sword, and he just came out of nowhere…so brave! And then…everything was okay." Zelda shuffled her feet around and twiddled her fingers, a little embarrassed by her confession and the passion it was delivered with. She had made sure to skip over the part where she thanked him; her face would've been as red as the roses they stood beside.

"I suppose that's why you seem so spacey today. You've been thinking about some dream boy!" She laughed heartily, obviously amused with her story.

"I haven't been spacey today…! Have I?" Zelda was irritated now, both with herself for swooning and Impa for giggling at her. She wanted her to know how real he had seemed to her. She had felt as if he were standing beside her, and when she imagined it, she could almost feel his warm hands in hers again. It made her heart skip a beat and her cheeks redden more. "He was just very realistic!"

Impa laughed a little more and placed a gentle hand on her small shoulder. "So this boy…have you seen him before? Or his he just a product of your wild imagination?"

Zelda shook her head and bit her lip in thought. "I know I haven't. But he seemed…so…familiar…as if I have met him before… it was so strange!" Her mind conjured up the image of his eyes once more, intently looking back at her. "I mean…I don't know how I could dream up a person real…so alive…if they didn't really exist." She glanced back at Impa, eyes pleading that she didn't sound crazy for saying all of this.

Impa looked down at her, then moved from the wall and faced away from the castle. She looked out of the courtyard and back down at Zelda again. "Perhaps he is real then. Out there somewhere. Sometimes dreams can lead you to all sorts of places…and all kinds of people."

The princess sighed heavily at this, for she wished that to be true. She now stared out of the courtyard, wishing that she would one day go far beyond these castle walls and meet the one that had invaded her dreams. She looked back up at Impa and said, "Thanks for listening, Impa. I appreciate it." With those words, she entered the castle once more and resumed her day, trying her best to no longer think of her own little hero.

It wasn't until sunset that Zelda stepped outside again. She was standing out on the same balcony, washed in the warm colors red and orange. She approached the parapet and inserted her feet into the open slots, then raised herself up to where she was higher up. Slowly, she spread her arms out and leaned her head back, and she giggled at herself for being silly. It felt nice, though, to be so free. She set her hands back down on the parapet and placed her feet back on the ground once more. She leaned on her elbows over the top of the parapet, watching the sun as it nestled itself below the rolling hills of Hyrule. She allowed herself thoughts of her dream once again, and she wondered if somewhere out there, the boy was watching the sunset too.

Before long, darkness had fallen over the land again. Tonight, Zelda could see more stars than usual; they appeared in clusters spread across the blackened sky. She smiled to herself, wishing that she could be out there on the grass, gazing up at the stars from the ground. She held her hands in front of her face and reached for the moon, no longer full but instead lopsided and waning. From where she was standing, it seemed so close and within her reach, but she knew that the moon, along with other things from her dream, it was inconceivably distant. A sad sigh escaped from her lips; she longed to meet that blonde-haired boy, and all she could do is hope that he was real. A part of her believed that he was, in fact, in Hyrule at that very moment. Perhaps he was sprawled on the ground somewhere, gazing up at the stars and yearning for her as well.

Hand on her heart, Zelda turned away from the beautiful sky and went to her bedroom, hoping that her dreams wouldn't be as troubling as the previous night's.

_Once more, Zelda found herself underneath the huge, starry sky, but this time she was stretched out on the cool ground, completely undisturbed. She grinned as she drew pictures in the air with the stars, connecting the shining dots together. A cool breeze rolled through, and she shivered a little. She then felt a warm hand fall on her shoulder. She flipped on her side to see a blonde boy with thick bangs laying beside her, his arm draped around her to keep her warm. She smiled again as she observed his green forest clothing and his small wooden shield. He turned his head to look at her, and when he smiled she felt much warmer._

_Zelda sat up and turned towards him. He looked up at her with his frosty blue eyes, and she couldn't help but stare back. She leaned over him, smoothed his hair away from his forehead with her hand, and he fluttered his eyes shut. She wanted so desperately to ask him his name, but her lips wouldn't form over the words. He sat up now, too, and when he gazed at her, she felt her hands wrapping around his for a second time._

" _Come find me again."_

  
  



	3. Whispers on the Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The strings of fate draw ever nearer.

For a full week, the dreams of the boy clad in green persisted. Every time Zelda's head locked down and fell into the realm of sleep, he would eventually make an appearance. The dreams always started out the same: she would be wandering some field of Hyrule, each place farther away from the castle than the last, and she would encounter the young fellow. Whenever she believed that she was by herself, he would appear beside her; if she was in trouble, he would come to her aid. Zelda didn't know why she dreamt of him so often, or why she never learned his name-she would always wake up before she got to ask-but she was mostly puzzled by how vivid the dreams were. He seemed so real in her mind that sometimes when she awoke from her slumber, she swore she could still feel the touch of his skin or smell the scent of his forest clothes lingering on her night dress. She wanted answers to the millions of questions she had, but he had never spoken a word to her.

The image of him remained in her eyes as she stirred that morning. Zelda rolled over in her bed and brought the wrist of her sleeve to her nose, and when she breathed deeply should could smell the faintest traces of pine. She sighed to herself in frustration as she climbed out of bed. Was she crazy for fantasizing so strongly about someone? She shook her head at this, dismissing the thought, and crossed the room to her dresser. While she brushed her hair out in front of the looking glass, Zelda's mind stayed on the interloper of her dreams. She knew that it was unlikely, ridiculous even, to believe that he was real, but she could almost feel his presence. Every dream seemed more and more like a premonition, and in her heart she knew that he existed. All she could do was wait patiently until they crossed paths or stumbled into each other, and that in itself was improbable.

Zelda stood and went to change out of her night clothes and into her usual dress. She slipped into the few different layers of clothes, and she pulled her silky hair back as she slipped on her headdress, With a look of approval as she adjusted the bracelets she wore in the mirror, Zelda left her chambers for the castle garden, the place she usually stayed when it was nice out. Today, as slipped out of the castle and into the courtyards, the sun was out and high, burning bright on the blue background of the sky. A few clouds floated around, white and wispy. Zelda grinned at the pleasant spring weather and sat down on the stone steps, underneath a window. She wrapped her arms around her legs and brought them to her chest, and she rested her chin on the tops of her knees. As she gently shut her eyes, she inhaled the scent of the surrounding flowers, a cornucopia of sweet scents. She smiled as she sat there, glad to be relaxing outside instead of being caught up in the stress of the castle or her dreams.

The sound of voices emitting from the window above her caused Zelda to come out of her trance. Even though she thought it both rude and nosy to eavesdrop on others, she took a little joy in hearing the gossip of the castle. She felt it was the most modest form of excitement she could have, listening to what the people said under their breaths. The wind whipped through Hyrule Castle and carried with it secrets that her ears were dying to hear, and it was at this very window that she often perched and listened. All though these sessions often spawned self-reproach, Zelda considered them her guilty pleasure, and so she would spend evenings hidden beneath the window pane, allowing herself to hear many things that she was not meant to.

Now she tilted her head up and listened, not quite sure what these voices were saying. She bit her lip at the muffled sounds and turned around to face the wall. She pulled herself up slowly and, not quite tall enough to lean through the window properly, stood on her toes to see in. She could see shadows moving across the wall, two dark figures conversing in hushed tones. Zelda stuck her head through the window into the castle now, and she craned her neck to see the shapes of Impa and her father. She listened intently now, but she could only catch broken pieces of Impa's words.

"…strange…about Zelda…came to me…"

Zelda quickly recoiled and backed away from the window, the words still ringing in her ears. She knew that this conversation was probably both important and confidential, but her name had been said. Temptation gnawed at her being, and buckling beneath the weight of it, Zelda watched through the window as the shadows danced in movement on the walls. She brought her hand to the shell of her ear, concentrating on their words as they spoke.

"Zelda…prophetic…could it be?" her father was saying now, his tone skeptical but wary.

"Possibly…can't tell if she…strange ones…fire and the blade…" Impa's murmurs were fading in and out. A breath escaped from Zelda's lips as she quickly crouched down beneath the window. She placed her hand on her chest, her heart thumping rapidly beneath it, racing like her mind. Impa had told him all about her dreams, hadn't she? Could she have mentioned every detail? With bated breath, she sat down and pulled her knees to her chest again. Her mind was stretching in many different places at once; what would happen if her father thought the dreams to be true? Would she be forever locked away, never to see the sunlight again, for her own protection? The thought made her shiver, and she rested her head on her knees, praying to the goddesses that nothing would happen.

The sound of shuffling feet above pulled Zelda out of her curled position. She pulled herself up using the window pane, wanting to see if she could catch anymore of the conversation, but instead she came face-to-face with Impa. Her caretaker's expression was stern, and Zelda felt her face turn red with the embarrassment of getting caught. Impa folded her arms across her chest, and her full lips were pulled into a thick line. "Zelda," she started, "were you spying on the conversation?" The serious look in her eyes trusted Zelda would not lie to her.

Zelda wouldn't have dreamt of lying to her, and with wide, apologetic eyes she confessed. "I'm sorry Impa," she said, wringing her hands nervously, "I was just curious after you mentioned my name…" Her head hung down and she stared at her feet, and they too moved about anxiously. She didn't know what kind of trouble she was in, but she feared that she now was doomed to spend her life locked in the northernmost tower.

At the sorrow in her tone, though, Impa softened slightly, and she tipped Zelda's chin up to look at her. "Princess, what we were discussing is something I cannot reveal to you now; try your best to forget what you heard, however much that was. I suggest you stray from eavesdropping from now on, for it's not only impolite but can also lead to things you're not able to handle."

Zelda blinked a few times but nodded her head in silent agreement. Impa's hand fell away from her face, and she looked up at her with wide eyes. "I promise you Impa, I will not meddle."

"What a well-behaved princess you are," Impa replied. Zelda smiled at her, and was going to open her mouth to say something, but a loud snapping sound made her turn around quickly. She saw nothing and spun around to Impa again, but the Sheikah had disappeared from the window sill. Zelda stuck her head through the window and looked for her, but she saw nothing but the tapestry billowing in the wind she had left in her wake.

A cloudy night appeared to have blotted out the moon entirely, and the stars themselves appeared to have been blown out by the goddesses themselves, for it was one of the darkest nights that Hyrule had seen in weeks. The guards, always on watch in front of Hyrule Castle, could barely see their armored hands in front of their eyes, and for this Link was quite thankful. He was snaking his way up a thick patch of vines sprawled across the plateau that led to the castle itself; it was too dangerous any other way. When he had hoisted himself up and dusted himself off, he peered down at the guards, though he himself had a difficult time seeing them. He crossed toward the large gates, seeing the pair of guards just barely in the darkness, and he carefully found the square hole in the stone. Link crouched down and fondled about for the ladder, and then descended slowly into the blackness.

Usually, this part of his plan was flawless, but tonight was obviously a night for challenges. As he hopped off the ladder onto the ground, he felt a cold, steely hand grab the back of his shirt. Link's eyes widened as he was roughly pulled around to look into the face of one of the guards. He looked very mean and disgruntled; Link concluded that he must have been sleeping in the guard tower. The guard, unforgiving of his crime, clutched his collar tightly and walked through the opposing door to the outside to throw him out into the night.

Link flew only a short distance before he landed face-first on the ground. He sputtered, dirt in his mouth, and pulled himself up. His elbows and face were a little scraped and stung, but he only dusted himself off once more and started to clamber up the vines again. This time, as he stood on top of the guard tower, he bravely jumped off and rolled as he landed; he didn't have the time to be stopped again. He coughed from the dirt once more and then looked at the hill beside him. It was crowned with two guards, and on the trail before him he saw two more. With a slightly frustrated sigh, he crept slowly up the hill, praying the darkness would make him nothing more than a shadow in the night. Luckier this time than he was before, Link slipped past the guards without them noticing, and as soon as he confirmed that he was freed of them, he broke out into a run towards the west side of the castle.

As Link brushed past trees and stray patches of narcissus, the sun started to rise quickly and he thought about the princess. He wondered if she would call the guards on him and get him thrown out of the castle once more. He had not thought it through properly, since it was an impulse to sneak into the castle at nightfall. Thinking of it now, he realized that she would not have the slightest idea who he was. A little anxious now, he ran faster towards another plateau splattered with vines, and by the time had climbed up them and dove into the mote, he had convinced himself it was all in vain.

He swam down the mote and around the corner, pass more guards who did not bother to look down. As he climbed out and rung out his clothes, no longer in the sight of the guards, Link noticed that the sun had raised fully in the sky and everything was bathed in orange. He found the crates that helped him reach the small hole that poured water out of it and into the mote, and before he knew it he had wriggled his way into the courtyard.

Now, as he hid behind hedges from more guards on patrol, Link was trying to think of a way to introduce himself that wouldn't scare her or something. However, every scenario he thought up in his head always ended in Zelda yelling for guards and them sending him flying from the courtyard, and she would only smile at the triumph. A peculiar feeling prickled in his chest, and clenched his fist tightly. No, he thought to himself, he would not turn back now. He would proudly march into that garden and find the princess he had been searching for, and she would be as sweet as he remembered her being. She would be accepting and kind, not mean and nasty, and everything would turn out okay.

Brimming with confidence at this, Link waited until the guard had strode past him and was behind the other side of the hedge before darting quickly down the path and rounding the corner. Here, he faced two instead of one, but these were both a little on the stupid side, for they often crossed paths and shrugged, as if they themselves did not know what they were there for. Once, they ran straight into each other, and in the confusion of swatting limbs and clouds of dust, Link effortlessly dashed towards the vine covered wall ahead without being spotted.

After getting past the silly guards, Link simply had to scale a wall and walk across it, which was nothing more than a balancing act and proved to not be hard at all. Then, crouching once more behind finely cut hedges, he dove past the first one with ease. However, as he was making his way past the second, he stepped on a stick and it cracked rather loudly; the guard whipped around to glance around. Link, ever daring, had jumped into a large bush that stood rooted near the castle wall. The guard, thinking he had heard nothing but a squirrel or rabbit, went back to walking along the hedges, and Link snuck out of the bush as quietly as possible and into the garden.

Pleased with his success, Link smiled to himself, but it faded as he looked around the garden. The same red roses sprung from the ground in pretty clusters across the green grass, and water streamed through the grates along the castle walls. Narcissus, the same as the wild ones growing on the castle ground, were small yellow splotches that were as bright as the sun that hung above his head. His eyes traveled from the little garden to the stone steps that led to the castle where, peering through the window, was Princess Zelda. Any words Link thought he could muster were gone, and his breath was caught in his throat. There she was, back turned to him as if he wasn't even there, lost in some other world. He longed for her to turn around and flash him her sweet smile, but he knew that if he just stood there she would never turn around. He took a few slow steps towards her, and when he was only a few feet away, she noticed his presence and whirled around to face him.

She was not as pretty as he remembered; she was at least twice as beautiful. Her skin was pale like milk glass and had a radiant glow the goddesses should've envied. Her eyes, widened at the sight of him, a complete stranger, were forget-me-not blue and almost glittered in the sun. She brought a hand to her rosy mouth, and began to stutter out words in that voice he had never forgotten: "H-how…did you get here…?" She took a step forward, and Link didn't know what was going to happen next, but he found himself not caring as he gazed at his lovely princess.


End file.
